Conventionally, an image processing apparatus having a plurality of external interfaces such as a local interface, e.g., a USB, and a remote interface, e.g., a LAN, is known (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-148650).
In the conventional image processing apparatus as described above, however, an upper layer such as a job controller for controlling jobs directly recognizes differences between the external interfaces or differences between communication control protocols used by the external interfaces. Therefore, if the number of types of installed external interfaces increases and the communication control protocols diversify and complicate, the arrangement of the upper layer such as the job controller also complicates, and this is one main cause of a decrease in productivity of the whole apparatus.
In addition, different job controllers must be designed for apparatuses having different types of external interfaces installed, and this makes it difficult to efficiently produce a plurality of types of apparatuses different only in installed external interface, e.g., an apparatus having a LAN connecting function and an apparatus having no LAN connecting function.